Saturday, January 05, 2008

Your Brain on WNP

I don't care how much power, brilliance or energy you have, if you don't harness it and focus it on a specific target, and hold it there you're never going to accomplish as much as your ability warrants. ~Zig Ziglar

The Wet Noodle Posse has begun its year-long guide to finishing a book with a post on goal-setting, and why it matters how your brain works when figuring out what you want to do. So, for a change, my quiz will be at the beginning of my post:

You Are 65% Left Brained, 35% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning.Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others.If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic.Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet.

The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility.Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way.If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art.Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Yep, I agree with that. Though I am fairly creative, I do tend to lean toward the logical side. That looks about right. So, what does Jill Monroe have to say to me?

Some of her stuff just made me grin. She breaks down goal-setting into Left Brain and Right Brain words. For instance (I edited this slightly, denoted by ...) (and I made the part red that make me laugh):

How Do I Complete My Goal?

LB - Write them down. That's the most important step, BUT always write them in a positive way.

YES: I will complete my 200 pages of my new contemporary novel by March 20.NO: I won't fail to meet my contract deadline.

RB - You have to write down your goals, too. In fact, getting your left and right brain working together makes YOU a more productive person. Left brain stuff might not come naturally to you, but they ARE skills you can learn. ...

Okay, you have to write them down, too, BUT you can do it on pretty paper with a gel pen. Don't be afraid of glitter.

I was going to post my 2006 writing goals from the blog, but I didn't POST my 2006 goals on the blog. Hmmm... It seems I am keeping secrets from you. Shocking...

So, I found them on my computer and here they are:

2007 Writing Goals

 Submit one short story every other month to Womans World Magazine. -- I did this a couple of times, and then became demoralized. I had several other crit partners doing the same, and IMHO our stuff was far superior to what was being printed. So... I decided I couldn't write to their low standards. That sounds snobby, but it's the way I feel.

 Submit one short story or novella every other month. Again, I managed this through May -- which is why I had so many new releases this year, but after a while, the editing on those submissions took precedence AND I opted to work on some longer stuff.

 Finish Stiller Creek mystery by May 1, 2007. -- This did NOT happen, and it still isn't done. It hovers at about 45,000 words. I think this is partly because I don't know if I can find it a home...it's not a mystery, exactly, but it is, so probably wouldn't fit in a plain contemporary line, but it's not suspenseful enough to fit in a suspense line. URGH. Still, I love the characters and will finish it. Maybe even this year.

 Polish and query one or more novels by August, 2007 (Liv Leigh, Playing House and Camilla are all within this realm of possibility). -- This one I did. I polished and submitted "Isn't She Liv Leigh", now "One Love For Liv" several places. It was accepted by Samhain Publishing and will be out soon.

 Look for an agent - goes hand in hand with number three. -- I did this, too. Submitted to several, got req's for a full from one, but no one bit. I may try this again with the next full ms I have ready.

 Enter RWA contests - at least two this year with whichever novel I plan on querying. -- I decided that contests just weren't the route for me to take. I even accidentally let my RWA membership lapse, oops, and will need to fix that little boo-boo soon.

 Get a laptop or Alphasmart so I can get myself out of the mushroom pit occasionally. -- Got my laptop, YAHOO! And what a difference it makes.

 Hone the craft. Take a class every 2-3 months, or utilize one of the hundred writing books I own - or else work through the Maass workbook on all the novels and longer short stories. -- I mostly did this stuff on my own. I did read through the He Said/She Said workshop from Bob Mayer and Jenny Crusie, but never commented. Now, clearly, I am working through the Wet Noodle Posse one. I love me a good class.

 Write at least 500 new words daily - track productivity on spreadsheet both for taxes and for accountability.--Again, I did this for awhile, but fell off the wagon when LASR got started, and my writing suffered for it. It still does. So does my reading. What was I thinking??? Oh well...

 Commit to doing the prompt in Timeless Tales each week. - Ha. Not only did I not complete the prompt, I stopped posting one because no one else participated. Too bad, too. I love a good writing prompt.

 Update blog daily and website at least monthly if not more frequently. -- As you know, I update here daily. The website? I typically touch it once a week or so. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but certainly more than once a month.

This year, I just want to get back to writing again. That sounds pitiful, but it's the simple fact. I miss writing. I need to learn how to delegate a bit more and find some time for me. I really don't have much currently.

And before this turns into a really pathetic pity-party, I'll just say: Go check out WNP for some good ideas and a giggle.

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Judy surprised me with two autographed books from Lori Foster (one of the few authors who can make me SQUEEE) for Christmas. Apparently they colluded away from our business email to do so... sneaky, sneaky. AND, Alyssa Day graciously sent me an autographed book of her latest, Atlantis Awakening. Wow! What a fantastic series. You can read the reviews of the first two books here and here.

I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised at how genuinely NICE these authors are. But, I am. With one nameless exception, everyone has been just amazing! Check out some of the authors who are donating to our New Years Contest here. Incredible ladies who didn't hesitate to offer any help they could.